Mess-chest



No. 6I7,7l3. Patented Ian. I7, |899..

. G. A. BBACKETT.

I MESS CHEST. (Application filed. Dec. 23, 1897.)

2 Sheets$heet I.

(No Model.)

2%? arses 1 (No Model.)

a. A. BRACKETT.

HESS CHEST.

Patented Ian. 17, I899.

(Application filed Dec. 23, 1891) 2 Sheets8heet 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\ GEORGE A. BRACKETT, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

MESS-CH EST SPEOH'ICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 617,713,dated January 17, 1899..

' Application filed December 23, 1897- Berial N- 663,171 (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that], GEORGE A. BRACKETT, a citizen of the.-. UnitedStates, residing at Minneapolis, in'lhe-county of Hennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain newand useful ImprovementsinMess-Chests; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. I

My invention has for its object to provid an improved mess-chest havingparts whic. when spread or opened up adapt the device tobe used asatable. I

To these ends my invention consists of the novel devices andcombinations of devices hereinafter described, and defined iu theclaims- My'im proved mess-chest has been especially designed to meet thevarious requirements of such persons as, for example, miners, woodmen,and campers or, more generally, persons required to move from place toplace or who live in'remote districts, where better accommodations arenot available.

The preferred form of my improved messchest and appurtenances isillustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like charactersindicate like parts throughout the several views. I

- Figure 1 is a perspective view'showing the chest with its leavesopened up, one of said leaves being shown as raised out of workingposition. Fig. 2 is a perspective view with some parts broken away,showing the chest with all the parts folded except one of the legs andone of the end leaves, said leg being partially opened and said end leafbeing removed from its seat in the bottom of the chest. Fig. 3 isavertical longitudinal section taken centrally through the chest, theparts of said chest being shown as folded or packed for shipment; andFig. 4 is a perspective view of the cans or boxes'wit-h which the chestis adapted to be filled.

u, indicates the body of an oblong chest, which, as shown,"is dividedinto com partmcnts by means of partitions a. The chest a is adapted tobe supported by means of legs in the form of end brackets I) b, whichare pi:-

leg-brackets b b are I oted to the corners of the chest a, as shown at band when folded the leg-flanges I) embrace the sides of said chest. Asshown, the legbrackets b are pivoted at 1* to corner-irons (2 secured tothe lower corners of the chest, and the chest is provided with stop-pinsa against which the upper or projecting ends of the legs strike to limitthe spread of the same. These preferably malleable castings.

The chest 0 is provided with a pair of outwardly-opeuing leaves 0 and c,which are hinged to the opposite sides thereof, respectively, by hingesc and c. The leaf 0 is so secured, by means of its hinges 0 that when itis folded, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, it will be turned inward and willlie flush with or below the upper edge of the chest a. When the otherleaf 0 is folded, as illustrated in said Figs. 2 and 3, it' will lie ina plane immediately over the folded leaf 0 and will rest upon the upperedge of the chest a. To accomplish the ends just noted, the leaf 0 iscut of such size that it will fit within the chest a, and the partitionsa are set down below the upper edge of the chest'approximately thethickness of said leaf 0, while the leaf 0 is of a size to cover thechest.

The leaves 0 and 0 when opened out, as shown in Fig. 1, are supported bymeans of triangular brackets j, which are hinged for horizontal movementto the sides of the chest (1 by means of hinge-irons or keeper-bracketsf As shown, there are two of these brackets f thus secured to each sideof the chest, and when the same are out of use they are adapted to beturned against the sides of the chest and there held by means of pivotedbuttons or catches f mounted on said chest.

g indicates end leaves which are detachably securable one to each end ofthe chest a by means of hook-irons g and folding triangular brackets gboth of which parts are secured to said leaves 9. The triangularbrackets g are hinged to the bottoms of the leaves 9, and when foldedare adapted to enter corresponding seats 9 in said leaves. When the endleaves 9 are held in working position, the hook-irons g engage over theupper edges of the ends of the chest 0., while the down turned bracketsg bear against'the ends of the chest and will retain their vertical orproper working position by gravity.

The chest at is provided in its bottom with a rectangular or oblongrecess or seat aflformed by extending the vertical walls of the chestdownward a short distance below the bottom of the chest. This recess orseat a isadapted to receive both of the end leaves 9 when their bracketsg are folded into the recesses g, as shown in Fig. 2. When the leavesare placed in the seat a, the leg-brackets may be folded over the sameto hold them in position, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. A suitableflexible connection, suchas a strong strap h, is then applied,to thechest by passing the same around the chest, eudwise of the same, asshown in Fig. 3, for holding all the parts in their folded or packedpositions.

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated a multiplicity of cans or boxeswhich aredesigned to be placed in the diiferent compartments of the chest a forholding the provisions and cutlery desired. In the-particularconstruction shown It indicates large cans or boxes, each of which is'adapted to fill one of the compartments of the chest. 10' indicates aseries of smaller cans provided with covers k, and It indicates a trayadapted to contain knives,- forks, spoons, &c., and which, with the cansk',fill the third or central compartment of the chest. Of course thesecans or similar devices may take any desired form suitable for theirintended use. As shown, the chest is also provided in its ends withhandle-plates a, by means. of which the chest may be carried.

It is important to note that the side leaves 0 c and end leaves 9 may beopened up or spread out, so as to adapt the device for use as a tablewithout requiring the chest to be unpacked. Hence persons sitting at thetable may at any time reach any of the different articles in the chest,thus making it unnecessary to spread out the contents of the chest tomake them accessible while eating. an obvious advantage.

The device above described may be quickly set up ready for use as atable or knocked down and packed .ready for transportation. When theparts of the chest are all folded, the side leaves a c' serve as a lidor cover to tightly close the chest. Considering the functions servedthereby, the mess-chest herein disclosed is comparatively cheap, light,and compact.

It is of course obvious that various alterations in the specific detailsof construction above described may be made without departing from thespirit of my invention.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is as follows:

1. A mess-chest provided with a pair of leaves arranged to be opened inopposite directions, and when folded to overlap in different planes andserve as a cover to said chest, in combination with .the rightanglebrackets hinged to the sides of said chest, for supporting said leaveswhen opened up, substantiallyas described.

2. The combination with the chest a provided in its bottom with the seata, of the folding leg-brackets b b pivoted to said chest, the sideleaves 0 c hinged to said chest, and the detachable end leaves 9,securable to said chest, by means of the hook-irons g" and foldingbracket g, and adapted to be placed within said seat a, substantially asdescribed.

8. The combination with the chest 0, of one or more detachable leaves ghaving the hooks g' the brackets g and the recesses g, snbstantially asand for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE A. BRACKE'IT.

Witnesses:

J. W. SMITH, I. M. LONG.

This is

